Whare are your knocks on Hector Camacho's career? What was it that he could have done differently to solidify a true legacy?
beaten by Chavez in 1992 when Chavez was on top instead being easily beaten up. Camacho cannot be considered great. He had potential to be great, but he never was great or even came close.
Have motivation, stay off the drugs & the partying, polish his skills instead of relying on sheer speed a lot of the time. Camacho admitted that once he got hit hard, he lost interest in boxing.
Dedication. Camacho was one of the most talented fighters i've seen, but he gave away a hall of fame career because of his lack of dedication and commitment to the sport.
At 130 he was a phenom. Once he went up to 135 and was going against some pretty hard=banging fighters his style changed. Particularly noticeable in the Rosario fight he became a hit and clutch for dear life type of fighter. At 130 his incredible speed got him around that. It was the evolution of the fighter and his style that did him in.
At the time, was it well know that they was on drugs, and at what point did the rumors start circulating? Was it pre-Resario as well?
People tend to dump on Camacho for stylistic reasons over the Rosario fight. Guess what -- he WON that fight. Look at the scalps on his resume. If he fought int he 1920s and had beaten as many top-tier names in a 79-6-3 ledger and we hadn't seen him over the course of his career and formed opinions about how and who we think he should have fight, he'd be regarded like Charley Burley or something. Leonard Duran Baltizar Pazienza Haugen Mancini Haugen Howard Davis Boza Rosario Ramirez Limon You can debate at what point in their careers he met a few of these like Leonard and Duran, but he was past his prime as well -- but there are not a lot of better resumes out there. His losses are also quality for the most part.
of course he's a great... saying he's not, with an 80 fight career from 130 to over 160 and fighting and beating the best qualifies him. more so that some others. Camaho was a great fighter, of course he was!
He was supposed to take over from Leonard, as the superstar of boxing. But with the world at his feet, he goes and dogs the Rosario fight. And when he finally does show he can take a beating like a man (Chavez and Trinidad), it is too late as he has already jumped the shark, career wise. Personally though, he redeemed himself a little more a bit later on, when he was decking his sugarless with jabs. That put a smile on my face!
The only reason I'll be grateful for his career is because he finally put SRL into retirement for good. I never was much of a fan of Camacho.
I think the thing he needed from the start was top shelf management and a great trainer. Polishing just like Leonard had. I would have liked Hector to work with Angie Dundee--who was simply terrific with the boxers. I think Camacho listens and develops better. The Dundee name and charm would have seen him as the housefighter/moneymaker for a major promoter. Tough tough sport when you try getting by without the great trainers and second to none management.